Executive Summary
Cornwall Council’s proposal to unify Hackney Carriage tariffs is a precursor to de-zoning the county, despite avoiding open declaration of a move toward de-zoning at this stage. This presents significant structural risks to the stability and sustainability of taxi services throughout the region. While a unified tariff may appear efficient in theory, in practice it disregards the vast economic, geographic, and service diversity that has shaped Cornwall’s zonal Taxi system for decades.
Any attempt to move toward tariff unification and de-zoning will directly harm the travelling public, further destabilize rural access to transport, and create unsustainable operational conditions for drivers. These risks are not speculative — they are evidenced by real outcomes from past policy decisions.
We urge the Council to pause for genuine thought and reconsider these measures to avoid repeating very damaging policy failures of the past.
Section 1: The Flawed Assumption of Uniformity
Cornwall is not a uniform economic or geographic space. It is a very large, diverse, and deeply regional county. The existing tariff structure — with six different zones — reflects and supports this reality.
- Some areas are seasonal tourism hubs, such as Newquay, St Ives or Hayle, with intense summer peaks and low winter footfall.
- Others are transport connectivity centres, such as Bodmin, Truro or St Austell, benefiting from direct mainline links to Paddington, enabling consistent daily demand.
- Rural areas have low population density, where maintaining viability hinges on carefully structured tariffs and licensing caps. Set the fares too high and you encourage unsafe choices, including the potential for individuals to drive when unfit to do so.
A single countywide tariff ignores these disparities. If pegged too high to preserve higher-rate areas (e.g., Caradon, North Cornwall), it will devastate demand in lower-rate zones (e.g., Restormel), as fare increases of up to 40% would severely undermine affordability and alienate customers — pushing them to cheaper private hire alternatives (if any are available) or simply out of the market altogether.
Tariff harmonisation in a county as diverse as Cornwall inherently creates winners and losers. For every area that benefits from higher permitted rates, another will suffer significant losses in custom and community goodwill, and those on fixed or limited incomes, including older and vulnerable residents, will find it unaffordable.
While the Council may argue the tariff is a maximum only, and drivers are free to charge less, this is a misunderstanding of both customer psychology and economic dynamics:
“It only takes one driver to charge the full amount in a previously low-fare area — and the damage to public trust is done and cannot be undone.”
Taxi customers judge value by the tariff card — not the nuance of maximum vs. actual fare. Price perception is immediate and widespread. That reputational harm is irreversible, and once passengers turn away from taxis, they rarely return.
Section 2: De-Zoning — A Repeat of Historic Policy Failure
The Council must take seriously the lessons of the past. In 1997, when borough councils de-zoned their respective taxi licensing districts:
- Taxis migrated en masse to profitable economic centres (e.g., town centres, stations).
- Rural communities were abandoned almost overnight.
- Local customers were left without viable transport, damaging economic participation, especially for the elderly and vulnerable.
- The viability of regional taxi businesses was undermined.
There is no compelling evidence that conditions today differ materially. On the contrary, rising fuel costs, increased congestion, and the threat from the gig-economy’s growth (such as Uber) make local service provision more fragile than ever.
De-zoning, in a county as spread out and topographically fragmented as Cornwall, would be a catastrophic repeat of a failed and short-sighted policy approach. It will:
- Trigger driver migration to Truro, Falmouth, and other economic hotspots.
- Further leave rural towns and villages without reliable taxi access.
- Cause area-specific tariff distortions, leading to even poorer service access for the elderly and vulnerable, and poorer public satisfaction with increased pressure on social care and other transport services.
The idea that de-zoning increases flexibility and competition ignores the simple truth:
Taxis follow money – they have to. Without service boundaries, the least profitable communities will be deserted.
Section 3: Localism, Duty of Care & National Guidance
The Council may cite Department for Transport guidance, which recommends de-zoning to simplify licensing. But this is just that: guidance, not law. The DfT explicitly states that:
“…local authorities may have valid local reasons to retain zoning.”
Cornwall clearly meets that threshold:
- Vast geographic area, poor public transport in many districts.
- Strong tourism variations between east and west coasts.
- Historical evidence of negative de-zoning consequences.
- An already functioning, zone-based model that maintains service balance.
To ignore these factors would not only go against national guidance’s spirit — it would be a dereliction of local duty.
Cornwall Council has a statutory obligation to:
- Ensure reasonable access to public transport services for all.
- Maintain equity of service across economic and social boundaries.
- Protect the viability of businesses serving low-demand areas.
Tariff unification and de-zoning — would violate those duties.
Final Word: Protect What Works
Cornwall has one of the most diverse economic landscapes in the UK, with a taxi service system that, despite imperfections, works effectively because of — not in spite of — zoning and tariff variation.
To dismantle that system just to try and cut minimal administrative costs for the council under the guise of theoretical efficiency is to ignore the lived experience of operators, and most importantly passengers — especially the elderly and vulnerable — who have directly suffered from the consequences of ignoring local context.
- Reform for reform’s sake is not an excuse for repeating historic failure.
- Localism exists for a reason.
- Cornwall’s taxi system and the very people it serves deserve preservation and support, not forced homogenisation.
We, the Taxi trade, know what we are doing, and no one knows our business better. Please leave us to do our job and do it well.
Let us continue to serve the public and the diverse communities of Cornwall as we have done, with dedication, local knowledge, and pride.
Despite the damage caused by previous policy changes, we are continuing to do the best job possible, but please do not make it any worse.
Change for its own sake is not progress. When genuine improvement is needed, it is the Taxi trade who will be first to say so.